The clock on the wall now hovered between 11 and 12, yet he still hadn't returned. Fury flared in Chu Chu's heart as she ground her teeth, silently swearing to make him pay once he was back.
He'd gone to school only to vanish again, with Qing explaining he'd left after receiving an important call. But what could possibly be more important than her? And for his first night after Qing moved in, he left her humiliated—no, she wouldn't forgive him so easily.
Just then, the sound of keys jingling outside the door broke her thoughts. Chu Chu's entire body tensed, then, as if on fire, she sprang up, grabbing a cushion and hiding behind the door, ignoring Shi Qing's surprised gaze.
Xiang Ri, humming an unknown tune, opened the door and walked in, only to be met with a furious barrage of blows. But he wasn't foolish enough to stay silent; evading her with cries of pain, he yelped, "Hey, hey, easy! It's me!"
"Hmph! You're the one I'm aiming for!" Chu Chu, undeterred by the cushion's impact, only grew more relentless as he dodged.
"Honey, don't I at least deserve an explanation before being beaten?" Xiang Ri darted behind the sofa, positioning Qing between himself and the furious girl.
Chu Chu put down the cushion, hands on her hips and eyes blazing. "Where were you this afternoon, and why did you come back so late?"
"I went to school in the afternoon, but then a classmate called me for help, so I went. Xiao Qing can vouch for me." He nudged Qing forward.
Blushing, Shi Qing glanced between the two, then swiftly fled to her room without a word.
Chu Chu, baffled by Qing's sudden departure, didn't dwell on it. Instead, she hurled the cushion at him. "Don't use Qing as a shield! She's so honest she doesn't even realize when you're lying. You still haven't explained why you're back so late."
Xiang Ri ducked, helpless at Qing's "betrayal," and resolved to deal with her later. For now, however, placating his wife took priority. "Honey, let me explain," he implored, stepping toward her with outstretched arms, aiming for a comforting embrace.
Chu Chu, covering her nose, leaped back. "What's that smell on you? It's disgusting—I could gag."
"Smell?" Xiang Ri sniffed one shoulder, then the other, finding nothing unusual. "Impossible—I don't smell like anything." But then he froze, considering: could it be the scent of blood? He'd done a lot tonight, and though he'd managed to avoid direct contact with blood, the scent lingered.
"You say nothing, but I'm nauseated! Stay back!" Seeing him approach, Chu Chu hastily retreated again.
With practiced ease, Xiang Ri offered a hasty excuse, albeit a poor one: "A classmate asked me to help after he caught a wild boar. I thought he wanted me to come for the meat, but it turned out he needed help butchering it, and maybe I picked up the smell from that…"
"Enough!" Chu Chu shrieked, horrified, the image of a blood-drenched boar filling her mind. Unable to press him further on his late return, she ordered, "Go shower now! Don't come back until you're clean!"
Amused by her adorable scowl, Xiang Ri smirked, teasing, "You said you felt like vomiting just now. Could it be that you're…?"
"What do you mean?" Chu Chu asked, confused.
"Our love's little miracle!" With that, he quickly dashed into the bathroom, leaving Chu Chu stomping in exasperation.
...
"Is Xiao Qing asleep?" Freshly showered and wrapped in a towel, Xiang Ri emerged, appearing relaxed and carefree.
"She should be. It's not like I checked," Chu Chu muttered, her gaze straying at his "simple" attire.
"Oh, then I'll go see." Xiang Ri moved as if heading toward Qing's room.
"Idiot, what are you doing?" She couldn't hold back anymore, grabbing his arm. "Why would you watch her sleep? Are you planning to take advantage of her?"
"Why would I?" he replied, feigning innocence and pulling her into his embrace. "I just wanted to check if she's asleep so that we can… well, you know…" His unfinished words and the mischievous expression on his face made her cheeks flush as she struggled against him.
"No, not with Qing here."
"It's fine; she's already asleep."
"But…she might hear us."
"We can keep our voices down, then she won't."
"But I'm—"
"Afraid of what?" Xiang Ri, unable to bear it any longer, lifted her into his arms, carrying her toward the bedroom.
"No, she'll hear us!" Despite the rooms being side by side, Chu Chu still worried.
"Let her hear then," he replied with conviction, quickening his pace. After all, they were husband and wife! In truth, Xiang Ri wouldn't mind if his disciple overheard; he found himself curious to know how she might react.
The next day, all of Beihai was shaken to its core.
Wu Heyan, the renowned founder of Wu Group, the city's second-largest real estate company, was found murdered in his mansion alongside thirty-three bodyguards—no one had survived. Surprisingly, not a single servant's body was discovered among the carnage; the estate was filled only with burly men.
Soon, it was revealed that days earlier, the mansion's master had sent all the servants away, as though foreseeing such an event. In reality, Wu Heyan feared that too many prying eyes might expose the presence of strangers in his home, forcing him to take precautions. This caution, however, spared no one when the so-called 'avenger' came, erasing all traces of life in the house.
The severity of the incident left the public hungry for the truth. Wu Heyan had cultivated a flawless public image, tirelessly appearing at charity events and donating sums that, while trivial for him, seemed astronomical compared to others, thereby securing his reputation as a benevolent figure.
Meanwhile, the city's wealthier citizens—especially those harboring guilty consciences—were gripped with fear, anxious that they, too, might face a similar fate. They pressed authorities to swiftly apprehend the perpetrator and punish him with the utmost severity.
Wu's competitors, both those entangled financially with Wu Group and others with personal vendettas, relished the opportunity to carve up the corporation's spoils, preparing to seize its assets, as the downfall of this real estate giant threatened to destabilize the empire he'd built.
For some, it was joy; for others, despair. None felt this more than Chu Ah, who was jolted awake by a call from his secretary. Initially irritated, the remaining fragments of sleep quickly dissipated upon hearing the news. Hastily dressing without so much as a wash, he rushed to the scene. The True Dragon Villa complex, developed by his own True Dragon Group, had proudly advertised a world-class security system upon opening, supposedly impervious to any breach. Yet now, every occupant within Villa 68 had been slain overnight, a blow that felt like a public slap to his face.
More pressing, however, was the need to mitigate the damage to True Dragon Group's reputation. Without trust, he knew that his company's other assets would face ruin. After all, if he couldn't guarantee customer safety, who would trust his business?
Upon arrival, Chu Ah found the villa already under police control, with officers cordoning off the area three meters from the house. A horde of reporters gathered just outside, pressing their cameras for shots, relentlessly capturing every angle.
The keen-eyed among them recognized Chu Ah's arrival and immediately swarmed him, bombarding him with sharp and relentless questions.
Only now did Chu Ah regret coming alone. If he'd brought his security detail, at least they could have shielded him from the journalists' invasive inquiries. Utterly overwhelmed, he could only repeat empty statements like, "No comment. I just found out myself. The investigation is ongoing."
Thankfully, the timely arrival of the Deputy Mayor pulled him from the fray, leading him into the villa.
Though he'd braced himself, the sight of dismembered bodies and torn mastiffs still forced him to cover his mouth, his years of experience barely keeping him from retching on the spot.
Deputy Mayor Pei Yanming, seeing no trace of his initial nausea, turned to a cold-faced, competent-looking female officer beside him. "Director Tie, have you found any leads?"
Tie Wan frowned deeply and shook her head. "None so far. The forensic team is analyzing the evidence, but we'll need the results before making any conclusions."
Pei Yanming let out a heavy sigh. Beihai, a metropolis with a population of over 15 million, had four Deputy Mayors, each responsible for a quadrant. Unfortunately, this tragedy had unfolded in the Eastern District—his jurisdiction. If it wasn't resolved perfectly, his career would undoubtedly bear the blame.
"You're the daughter of Tie Zhongzhi?" Chu Ah asked, feeling the officer looked familiar, as though he saw traces of an old friend in her features.
"You know my father?" Tie Wan asked, surprised, as she had never met this imposing man before.
"I'm Chu Ah. I went to school with your father, and…" He hadn't finished before Tie Wan cried out in realization, "You're the one who always lost to him in fights… Uncle Chu?"
Chu Ah, somewhat embarrassed, shifted the subject. "Let's set that aside for now. Are you leading this case?"
"Yes," Tie Wan replied after a brief hesitation. She felt uncertain, as the enormity of the case might mean a higher authority would soon take over.
"That's perfect! You must find the culprit for me, Officer Tie!" Chu Ah declared. If not for that cursed murderer, he wouldn't have been dragged from bed so early, splashed with reporters' questions, and now struggling to deal with the aftermath of this catastrophe.
"I will," Tie Wan replied, her face resolute. Her strong sense of justice drove her to hunt down those who took lives so lightly, vowing to cleanse society of such scum.